Classical Sax Project performing at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Midtown Manhattan — one of New York City's premier acoustic concert venues.

About csp.

Classical music is alive — and the Classical Sax Project is proof. We commission new works, support working artists, and bring the power of live classical performance to new audiences, with the saxophone as our voice.

The Classical Saxophone Project was established in 2007 in New York City to bring the world of classical saxophone to life in new ways and to more people, and in doing so, bring to life new ways to spark curiosity and possibility to a world in need.

A man with glasses and a beard playing a gold saxophone during a performance, with a woman playing a violin in the background, in an art gallery setting.

What We Believe:

The world is increasingly crowded & fragmented; our inner lives don’t have to be. We use classical sax to help people find calm, curiosity & possibility.

Two musicians are playing saxophones during a concert in a church, with a golden cross behind them on a decorated wall.

Four musicians standing with saxophones on a stage inside a concert hall with wooden walls and chairs.

What We Do:

CSP curates intimate performances, mentorship, and moments of reflection — pairing classical clarity with the saxophone’s raw, human voice.

A musician playing a double bass and another playing a saxophone during a performance inside a church.

Our Annual Programming Includes:

Young person with headphones working on music production on a laptop in a studio, with computer screens and piano keyboard in the background.

Student Mentorships

We work with aspiring saxophone students and artists to create exposure and opportunity.

Orchestra performing on stage in a church with audience in the foreground.

Live
Performances

We curate full concerts and intimate experiences showcasing leading and up and coming saxophonists.

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Limited
Recordings

We work with local and global artists to create limited edition recordings of orginal compositions.

CSP is supported entirely through generous donations, partnerships and grants.

Artisan custom cake by Andy Cakes NYC Bronx-born cake artist and vendor for Classical Sax Project events.

A group of musicians rehearsing, including two saxophonists, a violinist, and a person clapping and watching, in a room with white walls and wooden flooring.

Learn more about how you can donate, partner or support the CSP movement:

SUPPORT

Three people smiling and posing for a photo indoors with wooden walls and other people in the background. The group includes two women and one man, dressed in casual and business attire.

Meet The Team:

A man with a beard and mustache playing a saxophone, dressed in a tuxedo with a bow tie.

Javier Oviedo

Executive Director
Co-Founder

Native Texan, Javier Oviedo started playing the saxophone when he was 11 years old. Motivated by his father to play this dramatic yet affordable instrument, Javier has spent the last 40 years mastering his craft.

Today, he stands as one of the brightest soloist performers of the classical saxophone world. Acclaimed for his lustrous tone, passionate musicianship, and formidable technique, he has kept alive the excitement and versatility of his instrument through his tireless efforts and continuous research.

Javier has a big contribution not only in reviving the old compositions but also in commissioning and premiering dozens of new pieces.

His debut recording, The Classical Saxophone: A French Love Story, features original music for saxophone and orchestra from the 19th and 20th Centuries. The album garnered tremendous acclaim and appreciation from music critics and the public at large. Since then there is no looking back.

During his journey, he has worked with many renowned music artists including Akira Endo, Zdenek Macal, and Mitch Miller. Javier has performed in many cities across the country and around the world.

In 2014, he released two new recordings. And So It Begins…, which highlighted his playing on two tracks and Lazy Afternoon: Salon Music for Classical Saxophone of Byron Bellows, recorded with St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and lead by Maestro Jean-Pierre Schmitt.

In 2019, he recorded Légende by Florent Schmitt with the City of Prague Philharmonic, released on MSR Classics.

He has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, the Austin Symphony, the Chattanooga Symphony, l’Orchestre Lamoureux, l’Orchestre à Cordes d’Ariège in France, and both National Philharmonics of Moldova and Russia in Oryol.

An accomplished chamber musician, Mr. Oviedo has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Salle Cortot, and at The United Nations.

Most recently has recorded some amazing pieces of music during the pandemic, for his YouTube channel.

You can also find his music on Amazon, iTunes, and other online platforms.

A man with glasses, bald head, and a beard conducting music with a baton in a church or cathedral setting.

Jean-Pierre Schmitt

Artistic Director
Co-Founder

Praised for his precision and elegance at the podium, conductor Jean-Pierre Schmitt was trained in the purest French conducting tradition under the tutelage of his friend and mentor, the late maestro Jean Fournet. In June 2013 he lead the premier of a new work by Hélène Rasquier at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to great applause. Maestro Schmitt is admired by the orchestra members he has conducted and possesses a rare ability to convey his musical insights to the performers.

In France, Mr. Schmitt worked with the Conservatory Paris V Youth Orchestras and the International Orchestra in Paris. He has since conducted around the world as an invited guest on several occasions to lead both the Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Macedonia, the National Orchestra of Moldova, and the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Oryol (Russian Federation), The Philharmonic Orchestra of Honduras, and The Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.

Soon after his arrival in the United States, Maestro Schmitt was invited to conduct the Classic Chamber Orchestra of Connecticut and the New York Lawyers’ Orchestra. He also lead The Monte Vista Chamber Orchestra in Texas and The Louisiana Chamber Orchestra. Schmitt is the founder of The French-American Chamber Orchestra in New York, performing on New York’s finest stages including the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.

Jean-Pierre Schmitt’s recordings have been well received by critics and the public alike and his affinity for the art of accompanying a soloist comes through.

Schmitt is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Classical Saxophone Project, based in New York City.

Recordings:

J. Haydn, Concerti in D and C for cello, Ariane lallemand, cellist.
The Classical Saxophone: “A French Love Story” Orchestre Pasdeloup Javier Oviedo, saxophone. (MSR Classics).
B. Bellows: Lazy Afternoon: Javier Oviedo, saxophone. St. Luke’s Orchestra (MSR Classics).
F. Schmitt, Légende, Javier Oviedo, saxophone, City of Prague Philharmonic (MSR Classics).
C. Debussy. Rapsodie for Orchestra et alto saxophone, Javier Oviedo, saxophone. City of Prague Philharmonic (MSR Classics).
N.J. Chaanine Transumanti, Triptych for saxophone alto and string orchestra.
Javier Oviedo, saxophone. City of Prague Philharmonic (MSR Classics)
H. Rasquier. Samsara, concerto for soprano/alto saxophones, City of Prague Philharmonic(MSR Classics)

Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Jean-Pierre Schmitt, president
Steven Boritz, treasurer
Javier Oviedo, general secretary

TRUSTEES

Meyer Gross
Nancy Langer
Tristan Loanzon
Firouzeh Sharifi

Staff

Javier Oviedo, Executive Director
Jean-Pierre Schmitt, ArtisticDirector
Florence Deniau, Project Manager
Lizette Kodama, Social Media Coordinator